Cassia was awakened with a jolt - literally. With her limbs jostling and head bobbing up and down, it was decidedly difficult to collect any thoughts as to what was occurring and more importantly, why it was occurring. Her last memory was of crawling drowsily into her pellet and pulling her worn goose feather quilt over her head But now, she felt arms cradling the crevice of her knees and the small of her back. The feeling was new, slightly disturbing, and sent chills running down her spine. With a small swallow and a lick of her dry lips, she tried opening her eyes in hopes of finding some favorable visual stimulus.

No such luck. Darkness. Absolute darkness. Her pulse sped up as wild panic washed over her in a wave of adrenaline. Crisp night air pricked her flesh tauntingly. A strange person - apparently a man who liked to bounce as he ran - was kidnapping her for no apparent reason at all, and, to top it off, her priestess robe was beginning to slip from her shoulders, surely making a pretty scene for any pervert. Well, it was true Veiovis wasn't a god of luck, but hadn't she served him well? What had she done to deserve this? The man slowed to a trot and then finally halted, and despite the ringing in her ears, she was able to make out shallow breaths of exertion. Cassia allowed herself a weak smirk; at least he wasn't robust enough to carry a girl of her feathery mass this far. Wherever "this far" was, anyway.

The man practically dropped her to the ground, causing painful contact between the cold earth and her rump. Cassia yelped with displeasure - half from the slight pain and half because the soil she was deposited onto was no doubt crawling with all manner of insects and other nasty creatures of the night. She wouldn't have been surprised if a swarm of demonic bats had leapt from the earth, making a spray of hellfire spew forth in their wake. The man, however, seemed less than pleased at her little noise and fell into a sort of shocked silence for several moments before he finally ventured to speak. Cassia, however, cut him off short. "What in the Gods' name are you doing, you twit!? Have you lost your mind?" With an indignant sniff, she pulled her robes back to their proper place upon her shoulders and rose, still clutching at the edges of her clothing. "Yes, that's right. I'm nobody of consequence, but you think it'd be just dandy to kidnap me anyway!" She balled her palms to fists and thrust her arms downward in an act of fury, although it was useless due to the fact that unless he had night vision, he would be blind to any noiseless movement she made in this confounded darkness. "Well...well, I think you're a moron! What do you think of that? You're lucky you didn't trip over a log or something, running about at night like this!" She folded her arms with an infuriated huff, her anger only just beginning to burn. "And what exactly did you hope to accomplish with this idiotic escapade, hmm? Can you at least tell me that, please?" She ended her last retort with a harsh, sarcastic note. There was no stopping her nownostrils flared, lungs heaving, eyes smoldering. Cassia was angry. Oh, if only he could see her glare.

No reply. Her eyes narrowed. So, she had rendered him speechless, had she? Got more than he bargained for? Well, she'd just have some fun with him for a bit before convincing him that he was just being childish and then offer him her forgiveness and send him along home, coddled. But before she could speak again, she heard a footstep rustle the grass. "Cassia?"

No. That voice was familiar. Too familiar. She froze, her lips pursed. "Cassiathat's you, isn't it?"

By the Seventeen Heavens, that was"Kires!?"

"Cassia, it is you!" He let out a relived sigh and took another step forward.

"What, what? Who did you expect? The High Priestess?" It seemed it didn't take long for her voice to shake back to anger from shock.

"Well" The hint of guilt in his voice was difficult to miss.

"Have you lost your mind?" she asked him bluntly. And he had seemed to be such a nice boy. "Why would you try to kidnap Priestess Elecia?"

"Well, I can tell you, but you'll probably call me foolish."

She clicked her tongue. "I believe I've already done that. Several times, in fact."

"Well...this isn't the place to be telling stories. How about we just go back to the temple and you can return to your sleep. I'll tell you first thing tomorrow morning. Promise."

"Fine! You had better remember because I don't plan on forgetting. I have chore duty early so I'll meet you in the courtyard say around 9 o'clock? And you had better have a good explanation for me."

"Understood, ma'am!" She failed to see the stupid grin on his face, shadowed by the night.

"I'm too young to be a 'ma'am'..." she muttered darkly to as she allowed herself to be escorted back home. "I'm only sixteen, after all..."

The clicking footsteps of High Priestess Elecia reverberated and echoed upon the black marble hall of the Great Hall in the East Wing of Veiovis Temple - the Black Wing. Elecia adored how the dark stone softly reflected back her visage on the walls and on the floors. It was her side of the building, after all. Every block of stone, every carving, every painting, every song played in its halls, and every person who strode its halls were hers and hers alone. The High Priestess of Veiovis. The Black Priestess.

The god Veiovis lay claim to two glorious properties: healing and scrying. The east wing was dedicated to the seer abilities, the facet of Veiovis she was sworn to uphold and protect. The west wing was dedicated to his curative attributes and was paved in white marble. The center of the temple was encrusted in yealie stone which was light, durable, and dazzling. In fact, the entire length of the outer temple had been paved with this overpriced stone, making the building a beacon on sunny days.

Elecia glided past intricate limestone statues acting out the history of the world down both sides of the wide hall; statues so lifelike they were given their own silver armor, weapons, and crowns. She halted before a large dome-like doorway with two elaborately detailed limestone soldiers pointing their swords towards its pinnacle. It would have blended seamlessly into the wall if it weren't for the circular depressions embedded on its surface. Her hand caressed the cool, sleek surface before touching the handles and pulling them open. Only she was allowed in here. A belt of blackened, seemingly useless ceiling height mirrors circled the room. Sauntering up to the mirror directly in front of her at the back of the room, she stared at her dim reflection in the strange mirror. Only she could invoke the powers of these mirrors. Only her.

"It really amazes me how you hindered my plot this time," A male voice crisp as autumn wind materialized at the back of the room. "You must have been up very late scrying to 'see' that. I didn't think it'd be a problem since you're only able to scry the present and not the future...but once again, you never fail to amaze! Seems you're too important to be bothered with temple enforced bed time rules."

"The High Priestess may bend the rules as she sees fit. Laws are for the ones who only know how to abuse power," Elecia replied curtly, not bothering to turn around to face him. "And entering the Antechamber of Mirrors is forbidden without prior consent. I don't remember giving you consent. Who's breaking the rules now?"

With a chuckle, he tapped the end of his sheath on the edge of the door in deliberate provocation. "Oh, but you have given me permission, my dear, long ago. And if you didn't want me to come in, you shouldn't have left the door open." He let himself inside, only stopping in the center of the room. "You can shut the door now. I have important matters to discuss with you."

Elecia didn't have telekinetic powers, but she did have the power to open and shut these particular doors at will. They slammed shut with an inward gust of once stagnant air. "Speak."

"Glad you're being so agreeable today." She saw the smirk on his handsome face framed with plum colored hair just behind her own reflection. "I found something you may find interesting."

"Oh?" She said, feigning interest.

"Yes," A smile spread knowingly upon his lips as he produced a beaten and worn red book from his uniform. "Do you know what this is?"

"No." Her eyes narrowed. He had better make his point soon.

"It's called 'Vertigo.' A book with some rather interesting predictions."

"Predictions?" She asked, betraying only the slightest hint of interest.

"Yes, indeed." She saw an innocent smile in the mirror as he placed the book on the floor. "And now they are all yours. Proof of my good will." He inched towards the doors and Elecia opened them slightly, allowing for just his lithe form to slip through.

She waited until he was gone before clicking the doors shut once more and lighting up the mirror she stood before. The newly illuminated surface echoed back an unapproachable countenance, one circled with a crop of silky white and silver streaked hair threaded with metallic rings and beads, and two unfeeling azure spheres peering out from pale, unblemished skin. Cloth as black as the sky on a clear Solstice night, trimmed with ivory silk with criss-crossing lines on its surface only heightened her comely figure. Only a small frown betrayed any glimmer of emotion - so few words were exchanged. What had he wanted to keep private? That book? Yes, that trite offering intended to appease her. What a stupid gesture.

It's not as if he could reverse what he did. Indeed, now the cat was truly out of the bag. She knew exactly what he was trying to do.

Turning reluctantly to the book, she eyed it warily. It was blatantly old, for one thing. It's faded red covering was peeling and dirty. Only the embossed gold letters "VERTIGO" seemed unscathed by time. She knelt down beside the book and casually opened it to a page near the beginning. The lettering was spidery and somewhat difficult to read, but she mouthed out the words anyway.

"And on the Ninth Day in the Ninth Hour, should a Torch of Veiovis stand before the Easternmost Scrying Mirror and utter the words, 'Come, heart of mine, awaken fully and complete my other half,' the Second Torch shall appear after many years of slumber."

Elecia blinked and raised her head as an image came unbidden to the lustrous glassy surface several feet from where she sat.

It was a an indescribable beautiful day. Rays of light shone down from an unmarred azure sky to the jeweled grass below. The temple shimmered as it basked in its daily light, as if the sun were shining for it and it alone. The lawns and gardens surrounding the building thrived with all matter of life, well kept by its inhabitants. A perfect vision of beauty, made everlasting by its creator so many countless years ago. Cassia walked down this vision in the form of a cobblestone path, as so many did daily. The sleeves of her dust colored robe were rolled up to her elbows, her hands encased in a thin layer of dirt. She had been working since dawn on planting a young pear tree sapling in the orchard, and her appearance gave off a sheen of satisfaction and pride in her work.

But the euphoric contentment hadn't made her forget Kires's promise. Straying only a moment to wash her hands and rearrange her robes at the well. It was only a quick dash back to the small circle of living quarters just below the temple. Walking at a quick pace past the multiple storied buildings that so many priestesses dwelled in and through a circle of fine cedar and holly trees, she emerged into the secluded courtyard.

"Where is he..." She murmured and noted some stray specks of dirt beneath her fingernails, which she hid by crossing her arms. "He had better not have forgotten."

A loud, lazy yawn startled her from above. Kires was sprawled out on a branch in a way Cassia would have immediately written off as uncomfortable - but he seemed to have been napping that way quite easily. "Cassia...there you are. I didn't think you for the type to be this late."

The scarlet hues of anger tinted her cheeks subtly. "What are you talking about? I'm on time!" She thrust a taut finger to the sundial in the center of the courtyard. "At least I didn't almost sleep through this! Now come down here...you promised you'd explain to me what you were trying to do last night."

Batting a fly away from his face, he tugged his short cobalt ponytail and looked the other direction. "But it's simply too grand up here. If you want to talk, you'll have to come up here."

Cassia looked fit to throw a child's temper tantrum. It was a pity, really...she had been so calm just a few moments ago. "I will not! I will not! Get down here now, now!" She stamped her foot suggestively. If Kires wasn't so amused at all this, he might have been inclined to be afraid.

"Well, if you don't want to hear what I have to say, then you shouldn't waste your time yelling here... I'm sure there's plenty of tasks the elder priestesses can assign you."

Gritting her teeth, she scrambled up the tree in silence. It wasn't a difficult task-she had grown quite accustomed with climbing trees in her youth. "Alright, but this had better be worth it..." She grumbled as she settled onto a branch opposite and just above where Kires sat.

"You're the one who arranged this, not me." He ticked back his finger but then quickly began speaking again, knowing it would invoke her exasperation once more. "Alright, now for my explanation...." He let the words hang in the air as he stared off into space.

"Yes, and like I said, it had better be a good one," she threatened in a non lighthearted fashion, adjusting her position on the thick, sturdy bough.

"Well, you know how boring it is to be a temple guard here..." He swallowed. That hadn't begun well. But the girl opposite him didn't speak, so he continued. "Urhm....so me and the other boys like to come up with things to do."

"That's it?" She snapped, breaking the short silence. "No, you don't have to finish your little story. I know exactly what you're trying to say." She sat up, swinging her feet over the edge. "You did this because you were bored. I can just imagine how boring it would be to be a soldier with no one to kill." She held up a hand. "No, no, you don't have to explain! I see it all clearly. You just wreak havoc upon your protectorates because you cannot wreak havoc on our nonexistent enemies."

When she looked over to give Kires a genuinely infuriated glare but was surprised to see an expression of hurt creased upon his face.

Wordlessly, he leapt from his perch, leaving a light rain of pine cones in his wake.

"Kires...?" Her anger dissolved as she peered after him, completely mystified by his behavior.